‘Rise Of The Tomb Raider’ Sales Tank But Dev Team Is ‘Very Happy’

'Rise of the Tomb Raider' faced tough competition when it launched as an Xbox exclusive on the same day as 'Fallout 4.' However, Microsoft and Square Enix as well as Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal are 'very happy,' according to director Brian Horton.
( Square Enix )

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When Rise of the Tomb Raider was launched, the title didn't meet the expected sales figure, which implied a disheartened publisher and development team. However, Brian Horton, game director at Crystal Dynamics, says otherwise, noting that both Microsoft and Square Enix are "very happy" along with the rest of the team at Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal.

The latest Tomb Raider installment sold about 330,000 in its first week. Some say that the game's poor sales can be attributed to its Xbox exclusivity, whereas some blame its launch date, as the title went official at the same time as Fallout 4.

Far from being in low morale because of the numbers, Horton's reaction suggests that sales aren't the most important thing in making a successful game.

"Microsoft and Square are very happy with Rise and the dev team, thanks for the concerns. Crystal and Eidos Montreal made a game we are proud of and we appreciate the overwheling [sic] number of positive reviews and fan feedback," Horton replies to concerned fans on an unofficial Tomb Raider forum.

He then continues that the team is looking forward to the Game Awards 2015, where Rise of the Tomb Raider was nominated for Best Action/Adventure game. Actress Camilla Luddington also earned a nomination for Best Performance.

Horton adds that they don't assess the game's success based on sales count, saying that they are not responsible for that segment. Instead, the devs look at the reviews and release time to determine their performance, both of which Rise of the Tomb Raider accomplished swimmingly.

According to the game director's criteria, Rise of the Tomb Raider is a huge success, as it has been receiving plenty of positive reviews.

The title initially launched on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One a few weeks ago, and it will arrive on the PlayStation 4 some time in the fourth quarter of 2016 and on the PC by early 2016.